Oil seal assembly



April 30, 1963 K. A. KLINGLER on, SEAL ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 In 0972 for .fiar] JZ Klz'ngier rfiei" Ca'rfer flizorn e56 Filed April 20. 1960 April 1963 K. A. KLINGLER 3,087,734

on. SEAL ASSEMBLY Filed April 20, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 flttorneys April 30, 1963 K. A. KLINGLER on. SEAL ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 20, 1960 United States Patent 3,087,734 OIL SEAL ASSEMBLY Karl A. Klingler, 111 S. Wright, Naperville, Ill. Filed Apr. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 24,641 7 Claims. (Cl. 27759) My invention relates to improvements in oil seal assembly for railroad car axle journals and the like and has for one object to provide a seal for the inboard end of a railroad car axle journal box which will maintain a close oil-tight seal between the car axle and the interior of the journal box independent of relative displacement of journal and box, and independent of inaccuracies in the journal and in the box.

Another object is to provide a seal which may be applied to the journal and put in place in the box without any change or adjustment of either, and wherein unskilled help may easily and rapidly apply the seal with the simple hand tools with which he is usually equipped.

One of the reasons why the usual type of railroad car axle journal lubrication has continued to be used with oil soaked waste is that the substitution of liquid oiling methods has heretofore required expensive changes in the box and seal to prevent excessive oil leakage. I propose a seal which will itself maintain proper working relationship with the journal, can be easily installed and held in place in the box, and will protect itself independent of even excessive misalignment or displacement of the journal in the box against pinching or other dangerous action which might break down the seal.

Another object of my invention is to provide in connection with a railroad car axle journal box seal, a vent, breather oil return, which will prevent loss of oil from the oil reservoir by returning to the reservoir the minute amount of oil which always seeps out between the bearing and the seal.

The seal between the journal box and the axle will normally contact that part of the railroad car axle adjacent but of greater diameter than and inboard from the journal itself. This portion of the axle, even if, as is seldom the case, it is as smoothly finished as the journal is subject to contact with the journal box itself and in practice, assumes roughness not found in the journal. Such roughness promotes escape of oil between the axle and the seal. My invention compensates for this by returning to the journal box any oil which may escape.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 727,720 filed April 10, 1958 for Oil Seal Assembly now abandoned.

My invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- FIGURE 1 is a detailed vertical section through a journal box and seal with the railroad car axle in elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation in part section of the seal assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation on a small scale of the seal assembly;

FIGURE 4 is a detail section on an enlarged scale with parts in elevation of a modified form in the same plane as FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a section along the line 5--5 of FIG- URE 4.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

The railroad car axle journal box 1 is aperturecl at its inboard end in the usual way and has the outer apertured end wall 2 and apertured inner Wall 3 defining a well 4 open at the top.

The railroad car axle 5 has a reduced generally cylindrical portion 6 sometimes not too smoothly finished 3,987,734 Patented Apr. 30, 1953 where it enters the journal box. The journal portion of the axle at 7 is located at the end of the axle.

An annular porous felt dust guard ring 10 encircles the axle 6. It is backed and supported by a thin metal annular retainer ring 11, which is together with the annular metal seal retainer 12 riveted to the annular seal backing ring 13 so that all of these elements encircle the axle 6, are concentric therewith but only the dust guard 10' contacts the axle.

G-ripped between the retainer 12 and the backing ring 13 is a sealing ring 14 of any suitable elastomeric material which contacts the axle about its entire periphery and is yieldingly constricted thereon by the garter spring .15. The elaastomeric seal ring and felt ring are the only elements which actually contact the axle. The retainer ring 12 is provided about its periphery with a multiplicity of small V-shaped apertures defined by the inward displacement of a V-shaped portion of the metal as at 16. These V-shaped portions penetrate and interlock with the felt ring and provide apertures through which oil seeping outward from the box past the sealing ring 14 may reach the felt ring 10 to maintain it in oil soaked condition.

The backing ring 13 has, projecting radially outwardly therefrom, a plurality of flat radial fingers 17 generally coplanar with the radial face of the retainer 11. The fingers contact the wall of the journal box to insure that if the journal should rise to contact the top of the aperture through the end wall 2, the oil seal will not be mashed or cut between the journal and the wall of the box but be guided for upward travel in the well 4.

Encircling and interlocking with the ring 13 is the thickened inner rim 18 of a seal bellows 19. The outer rim of the bellows .19 is thickened to contain embedded therein the reinforced bellows insert ring 20'. The thickened portion engages the outer face of the wall 3 and encircles the aperture therein, being held in place by a plurality of clamps or grips 21 which engage the inner face of the thickened bellows outer ring on the one side and the outer face of the wall 3 on the other end to firmly clamp the two together by the use of the holding screws 22 in the oil chamber defined by the journal box.

Extending outwardly from the ring 13 on the side opposite to the retainer 11 are a plurality of guide fingers 23, preferably of nylon or any other suitable, generally stiff material. These fingers extend outwardly radially from the ring 13 beyond the reinforced or thickened edge of the bellows 19 so that if upon displacement of axle in the box the seal assembly will be guided into the well to prevent pinching.

The rivets 25 tie the parts 11, 12, 13, 17 and 23 together as a unit structure for unit installation.

Extending clear through the ring 13 and its associated parts are a pair of breather holes 26 well above the axis of the journal. Breather holes are necessary because as temperatures change or barometric changes occur, air must be able to pass in and out. But since many freight cars are tilted and sometimes turned over for dumping, these breather holes are high enough so that even if the journal box is upside down, oil will not escape.

In the modified form shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, I provide in the sealing ring 30 which is in general the equivalent of the seal ring 14 at the bottom of the ring. an oil chamber 31 bounded at one side by the metal seal retainer 31a similar to the retainer 12 and at the other side by the body of the sealing ring 30. This oil chamber communicates at its lowest point with the interior of the journal through the oil bleeder port 32 which may be closed by the oil bleeder flap 33 which can open in the direction of the journal box to permit escape of oil from the chamber 31 but is closed if oil is thrown against the bleeder flap from the reservoir in the journal box. The reservoir in the journal box being that part of the box which encircles the journal itself. Ribs 34 are formed in the retainer 31a parallel with the axis of the journal to penetrate and interlock with the felt to hold it in place, the slot 35 formed by the lateral displacement of one of the ribs 34 furnishes an oil passage from the axle between the felt 10 and the seal 39 to communicate with the oil chamber 31 to promote escape of oil which has passed to seal.

An annular elastomeric collar 36, gripped between the retainer ring 11 and the felt 12 extends radially inwardly beyond to ring 11 to hug the axle and additionally mask the felt dust guard and inhibit dust deposit from outside thereon. The escape of oil through the dust guard is inhibited by impregnating the felt with a suitable material, for example, a latex which inhibits wick like action of the felt and limits, if it does not entirely prevent absorption of oil by and capillary flow of oil through the felt.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

My oil seal can be inserted in the well at the inboard end of the journal box and then the journal may enter the box passing through the aperture in the oil seal. The oil seal may be anchored in position before the journal enters the box, by bringing the outer periphery of the bellows into contact with the inner wall defining the well in the box, placing the clamps in place and tightening them up. They, being preferably spring steel stampings, will be strong enough and springy enough to hold the elastomeric bellows rim snugly against and make a tight seal with the journal box even though it may be a rough castmg.

When the journal has penetrated the seal, we then have the situation where the felt ring and the elastomeric sealing ring, side by side, spaced slightly axially apart, both contact the cylindrical surface of the axle where it enters the box.

The felt ring may be oil soaked before it is installed and may have some polishing compound applied to it so that as the journal rotates, its frequently not too well finished surface will be polished to insure better sealing of felt and seal. Preferably, however, the felt will be impregnated with latex or other suitable material to inhibit wick action and oil saturation of the felt.

Oil without waste will be poured into the box and as the car travels along the track, splashing and seepage will cause oil to contact the elastomeric ring. As is always the case, some oil will seep through the space between the seal and the axle, and this will maintain the felt ring in suffieiently oil moistened condition.

Since the seal itself is narrower than the width of the well in which it is located, any part of the seal may penetrate the well. The seal retainer extension on the one end and the radial spacers on the other end engaging in the one case one side of the well and in the other case the inner, thicker lip or rim of the bellows will maintain the seal in alignment with the well and in general perpendicularity to the axle, so that as the axle moves, no radial displacement can pinch any part of the seal between the axle and the box.

The combination of separate rings of felt and elastomeric material with the latter on the oil side of the seal and with the felt on the dust side so disposed that oil which seeps through the sealing area keeps the felt moist, accomplishes two purposes. The elastomeric seal inhibits the escape of oil, the felt protects the elastomeric seal from dust because dust from the road bed is trapped by the oil moistened felt, thus the seal will not be eroded by dust. The felt also acts as a guide and support for the rubber sealing lip to avoid eccentricity and assist the lip in maintaining sealing contact throughout the entire periphery of the sealing area. This is especially important because no support can be obtained from the outside or outer periphery of the seal element. The flexibility which must be present in the seal in order to satisfy center displacement of the journal inhibits any means other than contact with the axle to support the seal in position.

In this special application, the seal not being supported, only riding on the journal, can only work properly when maintained to work in a plane perpendicular to the journal center line. Therefore, means are provided to secure this position in the well on the box by providing fingers on the seal of the flanges which position the seal in the proper plane so that lateral movement of the journal cannot pinch or injure the seal.

The felt is prelubricated with oil to assure proper lubiication of the elastomeric seal ring. There is always, as in any such oil seal, a certain small amount of seepage along the seal area which could take care of that lubrication, but additional means to secure proper lubrication of th seal are incorporated in the seal. The felt retainer ring has openings resulting from spikes which are stamped into the retainer ring, thus performing a double task.

The felt in the beginning will be treated with some mild polishing powder which helps condition the sealing surface of the journal while simultaneously doing the sealing. Since previously the surface of the journal was not a sealing surface, an improved operation as suggested is very important.

The breather holes in the back seal are put in a special location which has significance with reference to its functioning. They are located in the middle of the upper half of the connector rings of the seal, thus permitting even the car to be turned upside down, for unloading, Without losing oil, for instance in case of ore cars. The breather holes are necessary because of the pumping action of the journal caused by the lateral movement of the journal.

Since the sealing ring does not rotate, the oil chamber at the bottom of the ring remains always at the bottom of the ring. It is a small chamber because it will never receive or hold for any length of time any substantial quantity of oil. As oil seeps past the sealing ring, anywhere about the periphery thereof, it tends to travel being entrained by the rotation of the axle in the same direction as the axle is rotating and any such oil will ultimately be led to and deposited in this chamber. As it enters the chamber it will bleed out through the oil bleeder aperture past the oil bleeder flap to return the oil to the journal box or reservoir. Only a little oil ever finds its way through the clearance between the seal and the journal because the felt is saturated at the beginning or oil penetration of the felt has as above noted been inhibited and there is no particular reason for oil working beyond or leaving the felt. When oil does reach the felt, finds its line of least resistance through the gravital return to the oil reservoir through the oil bleeder port, past the oil bleeder flap or check valve.

The recovery of even this minute quantity of oil is exceedingly important because it is essential that little if any oil be lost from the journal as railroad freight cars especially as is Well known are not too regularly inspected.

I claim:

1. In an oil seal, a sealing ring assembly adapted to encircle and make sealing contact with a shaft, a housing adapted to encircle the shaft, radially slotted in register with the assembly, an annular diaphragm adapted to encircle the shaft, one periphery thereof being permanently attached to and surrounding the outer periphery of the assembly, and means for holding the other periphery in fixed position in the housing, means for maintaining the ring assembly in register and alignment with the slot in the housing including guide elements free to move radially and extending radially outwardly from the ring assembly and of such length as to penetrate the slot independent of radial displacement of the shaft in the housing.

2. In an oil seal, a sealing ring assembly adapted to encircle and make sealing contact with a shaft, a housing adapted to encircle the shaft, radially slotted in regis ter with the assembly, an annular diaphragm adapted to encircle the shaft, one periphery thereof being permanently attached to and surrounding the outer periphery of the assembly, and means for holding the other periphery in fixed position in the housing, means for maintaining the ring assembly in register and alignment with the slot in the housing including guide elements free to move radially and extending radially outwardly from the ring assembly and of such length as to penetrate the slot independent of radial displacement of the shaft in the housing, some of said guide elements being spaced axially along the shaft, the distance between such axially spaced elements being less than the width of the slot.

3. A seal for railroad car journal boxes including a flexible, yielding, elastomeric sealing ring adapted to encircle and make a close working fit with a railroad car journal, a relatively stiif, rigid, support ring out of contact with the journal, encircling and supporting the sealing ring, a flexible annular diaphragm encircling the journal bent back upon itself so that its two peripheries are generally side by side and adjacent the journal, one periphery being permanently attached to the support ring and means for holding the other periphery of the diaphragm in firm sealing contact with the journal box, a porous collar, at one side of the sealing ring, supported independently of the sealing ring by the support ring, in contact with the sealing ring and adapted to contact the journal.

4. A seal for railroad car journal boxes including a flexible, yielding, elastomeric sealing ring adapted to encircle and make a close working fit with a railroad car journal, a relatively stilf, rigid, support ring out of con tact with the journal, encircling and supporting the sealing ring, a flexible annular diaphragm encircling the journal bent back upon itself so that its two peripheries are generally side by side and adjacent the journal, one periphery being permanently attached to the support ring and means for holding the other periphery of the diaphragm in firm sealing contact with the journal box, a porous collar, at one side of the sealing ring, supported independently of the sealing ring by the support ring, in contact with the sealing ring and adapted to contact the journal, metallic reinforcing rings, one interposed between the elastomeric ring and the porous ring, the other engaging the opposite side of the porous ring, said reinforcing rings being out of contact with the journal.

5. A seal for railroad car journal boxes including a flexible, yielding, elastomeric sealing ring adapted to encircle and make a close working fit with a railroad car journal, a relatively stiff, rigid, support ring out of contact with the journal, encircling and supporting the sealing ring, a porous collar, at one side of the sealing ring, supported independently of the sealing ring by the support ring, in contact with the sealing ring and adapted to contact the journal, metallic reinforcing rings, one interposed between the elastomeric ring and the porous ring, said reinforcing rings being out of contact with the journal.

6. A seal for railroad car journal boxes including a relatively stiff, rigid support ring out of contact with the journal, a reinforcing ring extending inwardly from the inner periphery of the support ring toward but out of con-tact with the journal, an elastomeric sealing ring adapted to encircle and make a close working fit with a railroad car axle, mounted on the support ring, a porous collar encircling and contacting the axle adjacent one side of the sealing ring, supported on the reinforcing ring, there being clearance between the porous ring, the sealing ring and the metal ring to define below the underside of the journal an oil chamber, a valved bleeder port extending through the sealing ring and the support ring for downward discharge of oil from the bottom of the chamber.

7. A seal for railroad car journal boxes including a relatively stiff, rigid support ring out of contact with the journal, a reinforcing ring extending inwardly from the inner periphery of the support ring toward but out of contact with the journal, an elastomeric sealing ring adapted to encircle and make a close working fit with a railroad car axle, mounted on the support ring, a porous collar encircling and contacting the axle adjacent one side of the sealing ring, supported on the reinforcing ring, a retainer ring mounted on the support ring on the face thereof opposite to the sealing ring, overhanging and masking the porous collar, an elastomeric collar gripped between the retainer ring and the porous ring extending inwardly beyond the retainer ring to mask the porous ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,407 Grisbaum Nov. 29, 1932 2,606,779 Jagger Aug. 12, 1952 2,714,023 Hennessy July 26, 1955 2,798,746 Hoyer July 9, 1957 2,823,051 Johnson et al Feb. 11, 1958 2,857,180 Runknagel Oct. 21, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 239,834 Great Britain July 25, 1925 

1. IN AN OIL SEAL, A SEALING RING ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE AND MAKE SEALING CONTACT WITH A SHAFT, A HOUSING ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE SHAFT, RADIALLY SLOTTED IN REGISTER WITH THE ASSEMBLY, AN ANNULAR DIAPHRAGM ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE SHAFT, ONE PERIPHERY THEREOF BEING PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO AND SURROUNDING THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND MEANS FOR HOLDING THE OTHER PERIPHERY IN FIXED POSITION IN THE HOUSING, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE RING ASSEMBLY IN REGISTER AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE SLOT IN THE HOUSING INCLUDING GUIDE ELEMENTS FREE TO MOVE RADIALLY AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE RING ASSEMBLY AND OF SUCH LENGTH AS TO PENETRATE THE SLOT INDEPENDENT OF RADIAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE SHAFT IN THE HOUSING. 